Plea to improve Zante holidays

Liz Waugh: September 2011

Zante island will have to improve services if it is to attract more visitors on Greek island holidays, the island council has been warned. Poor roads, inadequate sewage treatment, irregular water supplies and lack of signposting threatens to affect Zante's chances of attracting more people.

Hoteliers on Zante have complained of insufficient water supplies in some parts of Zante island especially in the peak holiday season of July and August.

The Zante island council has also been warned about the problems of poor drainage and sewage disposal in the popular Alykes beach holiday resort on the north-east coast as well as leeching from landfill sites on the island.

Tourist leaders also complain of poor island roads, especially the highway that runs from Alikes, through Zakynthos Town to Volimes which they claim is in need of a major upgrade.

A report from the hoteliers association, NSRF, said: "Considering the intense competition we face, both from other destinations in Greece and from abroad, we list the proposals considered imperative to implement. Any further delay or inaction will have devastating effects on the economy of our island."

Council leaders were told that Zanythos port also needs a major upgrade if it is to attract cruise ships to the island.

The report added: "While in terms of cruise companies, there is great interest in Zakynthos destination for this type of tourism, there is no infrastructure for the mooring of cruise ships. So few moorings for cruise ships has serious economic consequences."

And hoteliers are angry that plans for a new marina have yet to get off the drawing board. "While the island in recent years, is one of the major tourist destinations in Greece, until now there has been nothing in terms of reconstruction and modernisation of the port," the report adds.